The kangaroo courts of Islamic Republic of Iran against dissident workers and people must be condemned
On 3rd August 2019, the trial of sugar cane workers of Haft Tapeh began. On this day, Esmaeil Bakhshi, representative of sugar cane workers, Sepideh Gholyian, supporter of struggle of the workers and claims of Esmail Bakhshi on torture in custody, Ali Nejati, a well known member of syndicate of sugar cane workers of the company, and members of Gam Magazine: Amirhosein Mohamadifard, Sanaz Allahyari, Amir Amirgholi and Asal Mohamadi for accusation of publicising news of the Haft Tapeh protests were transferred to the Islamic Revolutionary Court. At the same time, a group of workers in Sush in Khuzestan province were tried for their protest against non-payment of their wages on 9th May 2019.
The events of the trial of the workers and dissidents and journalists amid Haft Tapeh protests bear the hallmark of a criminal mockery that calls “the court”.
These courts and trials are clear indications of collaboration amongst the Islamic judiciary of the regime and the corrupt parasite employers against the workers.
Workers and civilians are protesting against a system of embezzlements and corruption and the judiciary system of the Islamic Republic. Some of the campaigns against the status quo are:
The campaign against treating protests and legal challenges as “public disorder and security issues”
The campaign against unjust courts and the demand for open and public hearings
The campaign against bail payments for a temporary release of political prisoners which amounts to extortion and theft,
Mounting security cases against activists;
The campaign in support of Esmail Bakhshi and Sepideh Gholyian on claims of torture in custody
The campaign for Haft Tapeh and other workers arrested during International Workers Day.
These are some of the campaigns being conducted by workers, teachers and the citizens against aggression of the Islamic Republic.
Free Them Now (FTN) supports these struggles and tries to give them voice internationally.
Free Them Now (FTN) expects decisive support from all international organisations to stand against the systematic oppressions of the Islamic Republic. We ask all workers organisations to sign this letter particularly in support the following points:
- We strongly condemn unjust courts against Haft Tapeh arrests made during protests and demand immediate and unconditional release of Esmaeil Bakhshi, Sepideh Gholyian, Sanaz Allahyari, Amirhosein Mohamadifard, Mohamad Hanifar, Ali Nejati, Asal Mohamadi, as well as all those arrested on International Workers Day, including all political prisoners.
- We strongly support the struggle of the Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane workers
- We demand an immediate end to persecution and the detainment of workers and activists.
- Court hearings must be open and public; we condemn security orders against workers, teachers and activists, including those against workers in Shush and the Haft Tapeh sugar cane workers.
- We condemn the judiciary system of the Islamic Republic of Iran and its Islamic punishments that serve capitalists against the workers.
- The right of assembly, organisation, to strike, and to hold commemorative events for International Workers Day are basic workers’ rights.
- The Islamic Republic of Iran must be expelled from the International Labour Organisation and other international commissions.
Agust 16, 2019
Campaign to Free Jailed Workers (Free Them Now)
(For more information on the Haft Tapeh sugar cane detainees’ court, please see the attached letter).
More Information on trials:
Islamic regime in collaboration with employers against Workers
On 3rd August 2019, Sugar cane protests arrestees were tried. As their trial was going on behind closed doors, some workers and activists and students gathered and protested in front of the court. . On trial were Esmaeil Bakhshi, the well-known representative of sugar cane workers of Haft Tapeh, Sepideh Gholyian, supporter of struggle of the workers, Ali Nejati, a well-known member of the syndicate of sugar cane workers of Haft Tapeh, also the members of Magazine Gam: Amirhosein Mohamadifard, Sanaz Allahyari, Amir Amirgholi and Asal Mohamadi accused of publishing news of the Haft Tapeh protests. During the he hearing after the indictments were read out, all the accused were sent out of the court, except for Esmaeil the first to be tried. The trials of the others were postponed to a later date. .
Outside court, there were protests against the arrests and trials of the accused that included worker activists, students, Haft Tapeh workers and the families of the arrested men. The police, fearful of the protests, spreading. closed nearby roads and arrested three students: Rham Yeganeh, Hirad Pirbadaghi, and Farid Lotfabadi, who are still in custody.
During the court hearing judge Moghiseh the director of Islamic Revolutionary Court started by insulting Esmaeil Bakhshi and his lawyer, to which the accused objected by stating “my red line is sugar cane workers of Haft Tapeh and my lawyer and I will object strongly to any insults against them”.
During the trial while his lawyer was speaking for Esmail the judge said there was no need for the accused to be present but the lawyer objected to this but although the objection was upheld, it led to tension and the court was adjourned. The following day August 4th, the hearing continued with the judge claimed your slogan “prosperity, work, freedom, councils’ rule” during the protests is a communist slogan. Esmaeil Bakhshi answered: “this slogan is about demands and livelihood of the workers and I support workers of Haft Tapeh.”
On 4th August 2019, Asal Mohamadi, a member of staff on Gam Magazine, was also tried. Her bail was increased and as she failed to pay the bail, she was sent to Evin prison.
On 10th August 2019, Sepideh Gholyian was tried. In response to the accusation and the made up security case against her she said: “I was put under pressure and tortured during the interrogation and was forced to confess, so I do not accept the accusations!” – emphasising her objection to torture and imprisonment. She was immediately threatened with being sent back to Evin prison. During her hearing, her lawyer, Jamalaleding Heidari, pointed out that his client didn’t accept the biased accusations against her and that as a daughter of a working class family she defended the struggle of Haft Tapeh that this wasn’t a crime”. At this point the judge told him: “your defence of Sepideh Gholyian questions the Judiciary and Security forces.” Then her lawyer was threatened with arrest for disruption of the court!
On 11th August 2019, Amirhosein Mohamadifard and Sanaz Allahyari, two of the members of Gam Magazine were tried. Amirhosein Mohamadifard was not given enough time to defend himself and bail was denied to Sanaz Allahyari whose health is critical. In protest against unjust and unfair court hearing, Amirhosein Mohamadifard who had been in hunger strike for 40 days also refused all intake of liquids and went on dry hunger strike. He demands freedom for all those arrested during the Haft Tapeh protests.
On 14th August 2019, ten of the sugar cane workers of Haft Tapeh stood trial in Shush in Khuzestan province. The workers are: Adel Samain, Rostam Abdollahzadeh, Mohamad Hanifar, Esmatollah Kiani, Esmaeil Jaadeleh, Omid Azadi, Mansoor Baninamaneh, Feisal Saalobi, Hosein Ansari and Saheb Zahiri..
The workers were tried for “intention to disrupt order inside of the factory”. After an hour long strike and assembly on 9th May 2019 in the courtyard of Haft Tapeh Company, Asad Beigi, the director of the company accused and sued the workers. The court not even allowed them to read out their defence and not even they were allowed to see the written accusations against themselves.
The workers defended themselves in the court and stated that regardless of who the director of the company is, the protest was for non-payment of two months of their wages, refusal of the employer to categorise their jobs, non-payment of their bonuses and insurance money as well as non renewal of their insurance papers.
These courts were also another step in making security cases against the workers by the judiciary system of the Islamic Republic that collaborates with the corrupt and parasite employers. In addition to the trials ten sugar cane workers of Haft Tapeh were recently sentenced to eight month suspended prison sentences and 30 lashes.
We strongly condemn the unjust courts acting against those who were arrested during Haft Tapeh protests and demand the immediate and unconditional release of Esmaeil Bakhshi, Sepideh Gholyian, Sanaz Allahyari, Amirhosein Mohamadifard, Mohamad Hanifar, Ali Nejati, Asal Mohamadi, and all the people who were arrested on International Workers Day, as well as all political prisoners.
Agust 16, 2019
Campaign to Free Jailed Workers (Free Them Now)